Die Young
by Tanya Tsuki
Summary: America and England have a date night with a bittersweet ending that will fade into memory. Character death warning.


_(Inspired by the song If I Die Young by The Band Perry. The songs Hip to My Heart, also by The Band Perry, and Big Green Tractor by Jason Aldean are referenced. I own no part of the songs nor Hetalia.)_

_ooOOoo_

America stood at the bottom of the stairs, dressed head to toe in the nicest suit he owned, his bomber jacket throwing the overall look off, but England didn't mind as he began to descend the stairs. He, too, was dressed nicer than usual, in an expensive suit of his own. America held his hand out when he came near the end and England took it, unable to hold back a smile at the slight jolt he felt when their hands touched. America guided him off the last two steps and pulled him into a hug.

"You look awesome," he breathed into England's hair.

England flushed and gently pushed away. He met America's eyes and was almost speechless by the amount of love and trust he saw there. "So do—" he cleared his throat "—you look pretty nice yourself, America." His flushing grew worse, but America's beaming smile was worth it. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," America sing-songed and, still holding onto England's right hand, gestured for the door. "But we better leave now before the best seats are taken."

England nodded and let himself be pulled outside to the car. America held the passenger side door open for him, executing a small bow. "America," England snapped. "I'm not a dainty little princess, you don't have to act all chivalrous."

America laughed and shut the door in England's face in response. England glared, but then settled back into the seat. _That_ was more like the America he knew. This romantic, suave America was… well, it wasn't a bad change, but it wasn't _his_ America.

The driver's side door slammed behind America. "You ready, England?"

"Is something wrong, America?" England asked, frowning at America's nervous laugh.

"Not a thing, England!" He fiddled with the radio before looking behind him and backing the car up. "All's good. We're going to have a great night, right?"

"Uh huh," England murmured, unconvinced. "What are we going to do?"

"I told ya, it's a surprise," America smiled and laughed again, this time stronger, more confident than before. "But it's gonna be swell."

"Right."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, England occasionally messing with the radio. Every so often America opened his mouth only to close it a second later, biting back whatever it was he wanted to say.

"America," England snapped after the fourth or fifth time America closed his mouth. "Spit it out."

America's eyes widened in surprise but he nodded, and looked at England out the side of his eye. "What would you do if you knew you were dying?"

England furrowed his eyebrows, looking at America in concern. All he could see was America's profile, and there was not one twitch giving him away. "I'm not sure, America," England said slowly, watching him closely. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," America laughed and raised his right hand, blindly feeling for England's left. England helped him, meeting him in the middle of their seats and letting him hold his hand. They lapsed back into silence, a silly song about someone being hip to another person's heart playing in the background.

"I don't think I'd tell anyone," America said after the song ended. His hand tightened ever so slightly around England's. "But I would remind them that I'll always be in my land. The grass, the trees, the wind, the water, the sky… I'll always be here, around. It is _my_ land, after all. It's a part of me and I'm a part of it. Yeah…" he trailed off, looking sadly at the road in front of them.

"America…" England choked and shook his head. Using their entwined hands, he gently pushed America's shoulder. "Stop talking like that. That's morbid, especially for you."

America smiled and nodded. "Sorry, England," he laughed. He looked over at England, all sadness disappearing from his face. "Have I mentioned you look awesome? Absolutely stunning."

England blushed and turned away. "Stop that," he muttered once he heard America's chuckling.

"I love you," America said and England, surprised, looked at him, but he was staring at the road again, a faint pink blush tinting his cheeks.

England smiled and leaned against his shoulder. "I love you, too."

America let go of England's hand, moving his arm to embrace England in an awkward hug.

"Where are we going?" England asked again, his words half muffled by America's shoulder.

"I already told you, it's a surprise! Stop asking, England," America whined and England laughed, reaching over and turning the radio back up. Another of America's ridiculous country songs was playing and he rolled his eyes as the singer described a night out on a big green tractor. How… very like America, he couldn't help but notice. The song ended and England switched it to another station, focusing on the numbers of the radio changing instead of the surroundings.

"We're here!" America announced, bringing the car to a jerky halt.

England sat up straight and looked around, brows furrowing in confusion at the expanse of nothing that he saw. No, nothing wasn't quite the word since they were somewhere. A grassy field, a few trees here and there, from the looks of it. "America?"

"We're going to watch the stars!" America exclaimed and jumped out of the car.

England sighed and reached over to open his door but America was right there, opening it for him. "America," England started as he stepped out of the car, "why did we dress up if we were simply going to watch the stars?"

America smiled as he moved to the trunk of the car. "Why not?" His voice became muffled as his head disappeared into the trunk. "Besides, I think you look hot and you know you love it when I'm all dressed to the nines and all." He reemerged with a blanket in one hand and picnic basket in the other.

"Night time picnic under the stars?" England asked upon seeing the basket.

America beamed and took a large, determined step towards the field. England shut the car door with a sigh and followed him, shuddering a bit as a gust of wind blew.

"I think here's good," America said, gesturing to the middle of the field. "What do you think, England?"

England looked around. No trees nearby to obscure the starry sky, no obvious ant hills or animal droppings, just America standing there with a blanket and a basket. "Looks fine to me, America."

America nodded and put the basket down, spreading the blanket out and it was then that England noted with surprise that America had brought two blankets. Catching England's look, America glanced away sheepishly as he put the extra blanket in the corner. "Just in case we got cold, you know?" He offered as an explanation and plopped down on the spread out blanket.

England smiled slightly and sat next to him. "You thought ahead. Smart." America pouted and threw a sandwich at him. Laughing, England picked it up, noting the mess pooling in the corner of the bag. "Is this that peanut butter and jelly concoction you like?"

"Mmhmm," America mumbled around a bite of his own peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "I brought little hand-wipe thingies for you since I know you think these are way too messy, though. Because I care and all."

England rolled his eyes but opened his sandwich, taking a small bite. More jelly than peanut butter, just like he liked, he noted. America really had planned this, hadn't he? "Thank you," he muttered, catching America's bright grin out the corner of his eye.

As they ate, America regaled England with information about the constellations that they'd be able to see tonight and how "cool" the advances in space exploration were and how he wished that one day he could go to space. Finally they finished eating and America handed him a wipe with a sigh. "It would be nice to have gone into space during one of the first voyages, you know? But no, my place is here in my land, or so that's what all of the bigwigs said. It would have been so awesome, though."

England frowned and awkwardly reached over and pet America's hand. "I'm sure you'll be able to one day. You're… you. You'll be out there with the stars eventually."

America smiled sadly at England before attacking him in a hug. "Right. One day, I'll be able to see all of the stars." He then fell back into a laying position, pulling England with him. "But for now, let's just look at the stars we can see here?"

"Fine, fine," England muttered, half-heartedly grumbling. He adjusted so that his head was lying on America's chest, and held America's right hand in his. He looked up at the stars, listening to America once again discuss constellations, using his free hand to point them out. For a while, England would obligingly look in the indicated direction, but gradually, the gentle rumble of America's voice and the cool air lulled him into sleep.

America stopped talking about Ursa Major mid-sentence as he heard a snore come from England. He pulled the free blanket over both of them using his left hand, and looked down at England. "I love you," he whispered and then dropped his head back, looking straight up at the night sky. He raised his left hand, frowning at the stars he saw through it. Sighing, he dropped his arm and used it to hold England as close as he could, though he was starting to find it harder and harder to do. "Thank you for everything."

England awoke at dawn, noticing immediately that he was alone. He knew he should have been surprised, but America's actions and car conversation from the previous day suddenly made sense. He kept his eyes closed, simply letting himself feel at first. America was no longer beneath him as his pillow, but he could feel him around. He knew America was still in his land. He could feel him in the grass, in the air around him, everywhere and he knew as soon as he opened his eyes, he'd be able to see him in the sky. But he didn't want to open them, not yet. Instead, he kept them shut and pretended that he was back asleep, laying against one of the few people that he had ever truly loved.


End file.
